Let These Mind-Blowing Galaxy Simulations Melt Your Face Off

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Everyone knows the cure for existential ennui is the Three P’s: Pint (of
ice cream), Pink Floyd, and Pretty space pictures. While we can’t provide you
with ice cream or a psychedelic experience, we can offer you
some truly sublime galaxy simulations that are sure to fill the void inside
you—for now.

A study featured in this month’s Monthly Notices
of the Royal Astronomical Society includes30 high-resolution
simulations of the formation of disc galaxies like our Milky Way, highlighting
phenomena like the growth of black holes, the birth of new stars, supernova
explosions, and more.

The massive simulations took months to create, as the researchers had to
run their code for an advanced physical model of galactic dynamics using German
supercomputer systems like Hornet and SuperMUC.

“Astronomers will now be able to use our work to access a wealth of
information, such as the properties of the satellite galaxies and the very old
stars found in the halo that surrounds the galaxy,” Dr. Robert Grand, lead
author on the study, said in a statement.

In addition to providing incredible insights into our galaxy and others
like it, these images are spectacular just to gaze upon in wonderment: